The Bedroom Invasion
by griseldalafey
Summary: Ruth has become a rather reluctant damsel in distress. Out-take from  Woman of Yorkshire .
1. Chapter 1

**The bedroom invasion  
><strong>_By: Miss Puppet_

_Rated_: T  
><em>Fandom:<em> Calendar Girls  
><em>Pairings<em>: Ruth/Tim Wellington  
><em>Disclaimer:<em> Another thing that isn´t mine. Belongs to Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures.  
><em>Spoilers<em>: It´s a follow-up on the movie, so you should watch that first. Set in my ´Woman of Yorkshire´ universe.  
><em>Summary<em>: Ruth has become a rather reluctant damsel in distress.  
><em>Genre<em>: friendship/romance

_A/N: I had so much fun with these two while I was writing ´Woman of Yorkshire´ that I can´t quite let go of them yet. The following story is actually sort of an out-take from WoY and takes place after chapter 4 in which they were supposed to go to the Farmer´s Market but never made it there because Tim overslept.  
>This could have been chapter 5, but I thought things would have moved too quickly between them if I had followed this route. However it does make a nice, separate story. <em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

She had been asleep for a little over an hour, gradually entering the deep, dreamless state of perfect restful slumber when she suddenly almost bolted out of bed, startled awake by the feel of something touching her face. In the fairly dark bedroom she could barely make out the large, apparently large-winged creature, flapping frantically around the room. The whatever-it-was advanced on her suddenly and started to circle around her head, the tips of its wings occasionally making contact with the top of her head.

With a shriek she slid back under the covers, pulling them around her as tightly as she could, lying there with her eyes shut close, trembling in terror. She remained like that for some time, curled up in a tight ball. After five minutes or so, the shock and sleep began to wear off somewhat and she tried to rationalize her fear. Whatever it was, it almost certainly wasn't mortal, now was it? It was probably a rather large bird or some sort of bug. The question was, how did it get into her bedroom?

And how was she ever going to get rid of it?

Still with her head securely hidden underneath the covers, she worked up the courage to gingerly slid her arm out from underneath the duvet in the direction of her nightstand. After some groping around she found the switch to bedside lamp and flicked it on, quickly retrieving her hand back under the duvet. This little endeavour alone had left her with a hammering heart and she realized full well that the biggest confrontation was yet to come. The yellowish light of the lamp was penetrating her white duvet and lying there, with her eyes wide-open underneath the suffocating mass of blankets she realized she had to take a look. Whatever it was, at least she would be able to see it properly now.

Tightly gripping the edge of the duvet in both her hands she took a deep breath and pushed it down a few inches, her eyes just peeking out. Her eyes scanned the room frantically for a glimpse of the fearsome intruder, but she didn't see a thing until she looked at the ceiling lamp and spotted a large, black creature hanging upside down from it.

With another shriek she dived back under the covers, covering her face with both her hands.  
>A bat… How on earth had a bat managed to find its way into her bedroom? Living in such a rural area as Knapely she was accustomed to various specimen of wildlife finding their way into her home and she had never been too bothered by it. She could handle the occasional spider, bumblebee, newt or even a grass snake. But this was something different all together. It was a bat. And it was huge! Shuddering, she contemplated on her next course of action, until she heard soft meowing coming from the door.<p>

Rolling over to the side of her bed she poked her head out, her neck and shoulders still securely covered by the duvet and spotted Ollie, her large tomcat sitting in the door opening, his eyes transfixed on the bat hanging from the ceiling lamp, his tail tapping rhythmically from the left to the right and making that typical clicking noise cats use to make when they found their prey to be just out of their reach.

Usually, Ruth found it very endearing when Ollie did that, but now she only growled in frustration. "Did you bring it in, Ollie?" she asked warily. "How are we ever going to get rid of it?"

The bat was still hanging there, immobile and with its great black wings securely wrapped around its body. Knowing that she wouldn't get any sleep at all if she remained like this for the rest of the night, Ruth summoned every bit of courage she possessed.

"On three…" she told herself. "It's only a few steps to the door, you'll be fine. It's not coming after you and even if it did, it won't murder you."

She took another deep, shuddering breath. "Right… one… two… three!" On three Ruth threw the duvet away and made a mad dash to the door, covering her head with arms, not even daring to glance to the bat. Startled, Ollie rushed into the living room as well and Ruth closed the door behind her with a rather louder bang, pulling the door handle for good measure, ensuring that the door was well and truly closed.

"Right. Now what?"

Shivering, she made her way to the living room and sat down on the couch. It was late October now and the nights were turning very cold, this one not being an exception. What was she to do? Ruth quickly ran through her options. She could sleep on the couch for one night and deal with the situation tomorrow. Only, her spare blanket was in her bedroom and there was not a chance she would go back in there now.  
>She could try sleeping without a blanket, perhaps if she just snuggled deep into the pillows of the couch…? Another shiver ran down her back as a rush of draft passed across her bare feet and she realized what a ridiculous thought it was. They would most likely find her tomorrow morning, frozen to death.<p>

She could call someone. The question was whom? Briefly she thought of Rod and Chris, but then she realized they were away for a mid-week. Then Annie crossed her mind, but she rejected the idea as soon as it came. Annie was terrified of all kinds of bugs and wild animals. Celia and Frank perhaps? For a brief moment she amused herself with the mental image of Frank bursting in, dressed in full gear, his riffle in front of him, ready to take down the bat. He would probably shoot right through the roof of Maple Cottage. Jessie and Richard then? Well, Richard was of rather advanced age already, she wouldn't want to risk him getting a heart-attack. Her conscience wouldn't bear it.

Of course there was one other option. She could call Tim.

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><p><strong>A little about the how and why of this story. I come from a family of great cat-lovers and between four cats we´ve received our fair share of many mice, small birds, frogs, newts, butterflies, a couple of rats, pigeons a couple of crows and on two separate occasions a bat. From all the treats the cats bring in, I loathe the bats the most. Because they do flap around your head and are just plain creepy. That said, I don´t care much for the rats either.<br>Anyway, Minky, our eldest cat brought in a living bat two times. Fortunately she didn´t bring it into the bedroom, but having one in your living room is not much either, I can tell you that much. **

**And as always, I´d like to hear what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The idea had been there in her mind all the time, but only now she dared to seriously consider it. After all, he was the most logical option, wasn't he? Under normal circumstances she would never dream of disturbing him like that. Not at such a late hour.

Only this wasn't by any stretch a normal circumstance, was it? There was a bat of monstrous size hanging upside down in her bedroom. And for the life of her, she didn't dare to go back in and try and capture it herself. With a shaking hand she picked up her cellphone and turned it on, hoping at least that the battery hadn't died yet. When the greenish light flickered on, she searched through her list with contacts until she found his number. She paused for a few seconds, her thumb hovering undecidedly above the small green button and her resolve faltered.

She couldn't call him at this hour. He was probably already asleep, it was – she glanced fleetingly at the clock – half past eleven for crying out loud. He would probably be very annoyed with her for calling him at such an hour.

But she honestly didn't know what else to do and squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed the button, bringing the cellphone to her ear, rather foolishly hoping that he wouldn't answer it.

He picked up on the second ring in his usual, to-the-point manner. "Wellington."

"Tim… it's me… Ruth…" she started shakily, still with her eyes firmly shut.

"Hello Ruth!" His voice sounded surprised, but that was to be expected. He also sounded surprisingly pleased.

"I'm sorry to call you at this ungodly hour, but…" she faltered again, cursing herself for her inability to speak in full sentences to this man.

"Is there something wrong?" His voice now definitely acquired a worried note.

"There's a bat in my bedroom!" she blurted out and after this admission, Ruth let out the breath she'd been holding for far too long.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

'There's a bat in my bedroom," she repeated and then in a hurried voice she added. "I think Ollie brought it in, although it's not very like him to do such a thing. Usually all he does is sleep. And I tend to leave the door to my bedroom open because he likes to sleep at my feet and… " _Good grief, she always started to ramble whenever she was nervous._ "But at any rate, it's in my bedroom now, hanging down from the ceiling and I have no clue as to how to get rid of it and…"

"Ruth, calm down!" He interrupted her. "Where are you now?"

"I'm in the living room with the door to my bedroom firmly shut," she informed him.

"Alright, stay where you are," he told her and she could hear him getting up. "I'll come over immediately. Whatever you do, don't touch the bat, it might have rabies."

"I don't think you'll find me in any danger of coming too close to it," she reassured him, relief flooding through her. "Thank you so much, Tim."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he promised. "See you in a bit."

It was only when she lowered down the phone and caught a glimpse of her attire that she realized _exactly_ what she was wearing and she gasped in horror. She was wearing her nightie. Her Hollywood nighty. Her cream-coloured, figure hugging, far-too-sexy-for-any-woman-of-her-age-to-be- wearing-nightie. The one she'd bought on a whim while she was in Hollywood and hadn't dare to show anyone. Only she was wearing it now and Tim was only a few minutes from barging in, ready to rescue her from the clutches of a bat.

Suddenly she felt she'd much rather face a night locked up in her bedroom in the company of a bat than the prospect of facing Tim, wearing only this foolish, revealing excuse of a nightgown.

She realized exactly what this must look like and her cheeks burned in mortification. A sad, old¸ lonely woman, ringing up the most handsome and eligible bachelor of the village in the middle of the night with some feeble excuse to try and seduce him. Oh god, she was going to be the laughing stock of the village and Tim would probably never look at her again.

She needed something to cover herself up. But her dressing-gown was in the bedroom. As were the rest of her clothes. As was the bat. For a few moments she hovered nervously in front of the bedroom door, trying to work up the courage to enter again, but then her nerve failed her. She'd never had the guts to come near it and besides, Tim had told her specifically to stay away from it.

Realizing that at the rate she was going at the moment, she would most definitely work herself into a state of anxiety, she padded into the hallway, promising herself that the first thing she would do tomorrow, after she got home from work was to put a coat-rack on the wall, so she could keep her coat, a vest and perhaps some other items of clothing ready in case she ever found herself in such a predicament again.

Then her eyes fell on the woollen scarf she had discarded earlier that afternoon across the central heater. It wasn't much, but it would cover her up at least somewhat. Wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck, making sure it covered as much of her upper body as possible, Ruth perched down on the couch again, anxiously awaiting Tim's arrival.

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><p><strong>Next chapter will be from Tim´s POV; I´d like to hear what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews! _

**Chapter 3**

Tim quickly shrugged into his leather jacket, grabbed his cellphone and keys on the way out and practically jogged to his car. She had sounded so timid and afraid over the phone that he was now almost worried out of his mind. A bat in her bedroom… how on earth had she managed to get herself into a situation like that?

Ever since their lunch last week at the King's Crown she hadn't been far from his thoughts. He found himself thinking about her almost continually, remembering her kind smile and those beautiful brown eyes. She stirred something inside him, something that went beyond casual attraction or infatuation.

That attraction had been there from the first moment he'd met her at that bar in Hollywood. Wound up and sulking about his broken relationship with Carol, he'd walked in there in low spirits, ready to get a few brandy's inside of him so that he would at least get some sleep later that night. The woman next to him at the bar had looked as miserable and dejected as he felt and more out of politeness than anything else he'd asked if she minded if he sat next to her. She'd replied to him that she didn't and as soon as she'd opened her mouth and he´d heard that familiar accent, some of the greyness that seemed to have enfolded him ever since he got back from Tanzania seemed to lift. She was from Yorkshire too and there had been an instant connection between them.

He´d felt that same connection when he´d met her again on a windy and rainy afternoon in Knapely. She had appeared rather withdrawn then and when he found out she was in the process of divorcing her husband he had deliberately held back. It seemed like an absolutely fruitless endeavour at the time. He was busy setting up his practise, he had just gotten out of a rotten relationship and he told himself sternly that it would be in everybody´s best interest if he remained concentrated solely on his job. No more entanglements, no more drama. He liked Knapely, he liked being back in Yorkshire and he wasn´t going to risk all that.

But that had only been his rational side. His eyes still followed her when he came across her in the nursery home. He admired her. Her kindness, her warmth, her calmness. ´_It is only on a professional level_, he told himself. _Nothing more.  
><em>But the way his heart skipped a beat every time her eyes danced whenever she smiled had very little to do with professionalism  
>And the way he tried to get her to smile at every opportunity he got, was downright <em>un<em>professional.

But still, he had managed to convince himself that it was nothing more than a fleeting fancy – a kind of superficial attraction that would wear off eventually. If nothing else, at least he could congratulate himself on the fact that his taste in women had improved significantly.

Until last week. Until she´d turned a dreadful morning in which he had overslept and kept her waiting for two hours – the result of a rather brutal 20-hours shift – into a lovely, relaxing afternoon with a leisured lunch and wonderful conversation, just by being herself.

Something had changed that afternoon. From watching her from afar only, he suddenly wanted to get closer to her. Wanted to win her trust and her friendship. There was something about her that intrigued him and utterly captivated him.

The fact that she had called him when she found herself in trouble showed that he had managed to accomplish that already to some extent and even despite his worry he was feeling mighty glad because of it.

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><p>He parked his car in front of Maple Cottage and hurried down the garden lane. Pressing the doorbell he waited impatiently for her to open the door, hoping that the bat was at least still secured in her bedroom. The door opened almost instantly, revealing a wide-eyed, rather scared looking Ruth, clad in a nightdress and a thick, woollen scarf.<p>

"I'm so glad you're here," she breathed, relief washing over her face.

"Of course," he reassured her quickly. "Where is it?"

"It's still in the bedroom," she answered, leading him through the hallway into the living room. "I daren't go in there again."

It was only when he got into the living room that he, due to the clear lamp-light, really noticed what she was wearing and his mouth immediately went dry. Ruth usually tended to wear rather loose-fitted clothes, concealing most of her figure, but this nightgown left a lot less to the imagination. The fabric hugged closely around her waist, curved down over her hips and flowed down to a few inches below her knees, teasing him with the sight of her calves and slim ankles. She was barefoot and he noticed with some amusement her light pink toenails. The colour of the nightgown contrasted wonderfully with the white skin of her arms and the faint flush on her cheeks and as his eyes involuntarily travelled up over her body again, he thought it was perhaps rather fortunate that the thick scarf hid most of her upper body.

Then he mentally chastised himself for his inappropriate thoughts. Here she was, frightened half out of her skin, trusting him enough to let him into to her house in the middle of the night while he was ogling her like some sort of hormonal teenager.

Then he noticed she was shivering.

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><p><strong>I adore reviews! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really enjoyed the guessing... some of them were spot on! Enjoy the next bit. _

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"Are you cold?" he asked.

There was little point in denying it. She was cold to the point of being chilled to her very bones. It was a combination of everything really. Between being frightened, tired, having just answered the door on a cold October night, clad in nothing but a thin nightie and in the presence of a man who at the present turned her into a quivering mass of nerves, she thought her lips must be blue.

"A little," she admitted, her teeth clattering slightly.

More out of reflex than sensible thought he reached out and touched her bare arm shocked at how icy-cold it felt.

"You're frozen!" He exclaimed, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Here, take this."  
>Instantly she was enfolded by his warmth and scent and without protesting much, she slid her arms through the sleeves, warming up gradually.<p>

"Thank you," she said quietly. "It's silly really, all my clothes are in the bedroom and I'm too bloody frightened to go in there because of a stupid bat."

"It's not silly," he replied quickly. "Bats are vermin. Were you already asleep when it got in?"

Ruth shuddered at the memory and nodded. "I woke up when I felt its wings on my face… took me while to work up the nerve to see what it was."

He was actually rather impressed with her. He knew a fair share of women who would have been in total hysterics after they'd been startled from their sleep by a bat circling around their head.

"Alright," he started, pulling himself up to his full height. "Let's have a look. Do you really think your cat brought it in?"  
>She nodded and pointed him towards the bedroom, but remained behind him.<br>"He brings in his prey occasionally, but usually they're well dead."

He opened the bedroom door carefully and peered inside. When he caught sight of the bat he whistled softly. "Goodness, he couldn't find a bigger one?"  
>The six inches tall creature was still dangling from the ceiling lamp and he realized she must have been scared senseless as this thing had suddenly appeared in her bedroom.<p>

He stepped fully into the bedroom now, closely followed by Ruth, who was feeling a great deal more courageous now. At the movement and the sudden rush of draft though, the bat startled and started to fly around again, causing Ruth to duck away behind his back with a small yelp and for Tim to take a step backwards, his one arm wrapping around her shoulders, his other hand closing the door to prevent the bat from escaping.

After a few seconds of flapping around the bat landed against the wall, holding itself against the wall.

"Well… this is actually a good development," Tim said, an idea forming inside his head.

"It is?" Ruth asked incredulously.

"I'm going to need a big pan and something like a tray or a cutting board to cover it."

"Alright…" Even though she didn't have the faintest clue why he needed it, Ruth rushed inside the kitchen to retrieve both items and returned seconds later to her bedroom, only to find Tim standing there, holding out her slippers to her.

"I managed to get them without him noticing," he whispered conspiringly, with a completely earnest face. The only thing that gave him away were the start of his dimples forming on either side of his mouth.

Ruth grinned, feeling the tension lift somewhat. "Thanks," she whispered back, happily putting her bone-chilled feet in the fuzzy slippers. Then she handed him her largest soup pan. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll try and trap him with it," Tim explained. "Then we slide the tray underneath the pan and release him outside."

"Sounds like a plan." Ruth answered, glad for his practical thinking. She watched as he slowly advanced on the bat, the pan stretched out in front of him. "It doesn't seem like your cat has hurt it," he mentioned. "There are no signs of injury."

"I'm so pleased," Ruth answered drily, smiling nevertheless. He would always be a doctor first and foremost, no matter what.

Then, with some considerable force he slammed the pan down against the wall, effectively trapping the bat inside. Of course it immediately started to move around inside and soft, clinking noises could be heard coming from inside the pan as the bat's wings hit the pan repeatedly. Tim actually had to use some strength to keep the pan against the wall. Rushing over to his side with the tray, Ruth tried to manoeuvre it underneath the lit of the pan, but just couldn't reach that far up.

"Stand between my arms," Tim suggested. "That might make it easier."

Blushing furiously and just praying he wouldn't notice, Ruth ducked underneath his arm. From this position she could easily slid the tray up underneath the pan, as Tim pulled it back just a fraction so it would fit underneath.

But all in all, that was the only thing that could considered to be easy. His arms on either side of her, the way she was trapped between the wall and his chest, his breath against her ear and neck, were all highly unnerving. Not unpleasant in any way, quite contrary in fact, but highly, _highly_ distracting. It felt so good to be so close to him. Even her nervousness couldn´t weight up to the wonderful sensation of almost being in his arms. And this surprised her more than anything else. She knew she was attracted to him, might even admit that she was well on her way of falling head over head over heels in love with him, but this effect he had on her was rather startling. He made her feel safe. And instead of moving away and trying to hide her feelings she found herself wishing she could express them somehow.

Unfortunately there was a bat trapped in a pan in front of her, demanding her acute attention. "All right, you pull back on three," he said, his lips only a scant inch away from her ear. "I'll press the pan against the tray… we don't want him to get away now."

On the count of three, she pulled the tray down, placing her hand on top of it and turned around.

"We've got him!" Tim said, sounding very pleased. He placed his hands on top of hers, making even more certain the bat couldn't escape, even though it was still moving around frantically.

"Would you like to set him free?" he asked teasingly.

"Oh no," Ruth replied with a shudder. "You can do the honours."

Together they made their way back to the front door, Tim carrying the pan and keeping the tray securely in place, while Ruth opened the front door. Once the door was opened, he held out the pan as far as he could and pulled the tray away. The bat sat there on the bottom of the pan, blinking for a few seconds before it spread its wings and flapped away.

"And he's off," Tim commented, gazing after the bat.

"Thank goodness," Ruth mumbled. At that moment the bat turned around in an almost boomerang-like movement, heading back straight for the door.

'Good grief, he's coming back!" Tim exclaimed, pushing Ruth back into the cottage. Almost tripping over each other in their hurry to get back inside, Tim slid an arm her waist to prevent her from stumbling and shielding her at the same time. He used his shoulder to shut the door, pulling Ruth with him as he did so.

The door closed with a distinct click and the laughter that Ruth had felt bubbling up inside her evaporated instantly as she noticed how close they were. Breathing heavily she had somehow ended up with her back flat against the wall and Tim only inches away, his one hand firmly gripping her waist and his other hand resting on the wall next to her head, causing her breath to catch in her throat...

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><p><strong>Only one more chapter to go. Please let me know what you think.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I was asked to give a speedy update… So here we are. It´s gotten to the sorry state that I´ve written a AU of a fic that was AU to begin with. This is also the final part – for this story. _

**Chapter 5**

His face was so close she couldn't see all of it anymore. Instead she took in only details. The curve of his lips, the hint of the maddening attractive dimple, just above the corner of his mouth, visible even when he wasn't smiling, the light stubble on his chin. Her gaze darted upwards, across his nose and finally up to his eyes. The intense look in his steel blue eyes took whatever was left of breath away. He was staring at her just as intently while everything else around them, including themselves seemed to have come to a complete stand-still.

Suddenly she became aware of the feel of his hand on her waist, almost burning through the thin material of her silk nightie. It was the most intimate she´d been touched since Eddie had left and his obligatory, half-hearted brushes didn't have even half the effect on her as Tim was having now. He wasn't even touching her bare skin yet and already she felt a knot of anticipation tightening in her stomach.

He was barely touching her and yet already experiencing a sensory overload. She completely filled his senses. Her scent, something sweet like vanilla filled his nostrils, the sound of her slightly irregular breathing, betraying just how much affected she was too by their close proximity and the feel of her warm, soft body underneath his fingertips, separated only by a wisp of silk fabric. But what captivated him most was the sight of her brown, slightly widened eyes. Every emotion was clearly visible in them and in that moment he could read her like a book, seeing every bit of nervousness, anticipation and desire she was feeling. And the hint of something much more and deeper.

The same sensation she'd experienced earlier when she'd been standing between his arms in her bedroom washed over her again. A feeling of being completely safe, making her want to get closer to him. Her eyes drifted back to his lips, suddenly wondering what they would taste like, how they would feel pressed against her own.

"I-…" When had her voice become so breathless and husky even? "Thank you for coming over, Tim. Although I am sorry for all the trouble…"

The first part of the sentence barely filtered through his mind, distracted as he was by the feel of her so close and the way her lips looked so inviting to kiss. Her apology however brought him slightly back to his senses.

"Don't apologize," he told her softly, his hand on her waist tightening a fraction. "I'm glad I was able to help and even more glad you trusted me enough to call me…"

"Of course!" She gave him a brilliant and genuine smile. "Of course I trust you, Tim."

If she hadn't smiled at him like that he would have been able to pull back, he reflected later. But that smile was his undoing and every last bit of restraint and reserve melted away right there. Everything he wanted, everything he was looking for in a woman was standing right in front of him, looking utterly beautiful and watching him with a tender expression in her warm eyes.

Slowly the hand on her waist moved to her lower back, pulling her closer against him, quickly joined by his other hand.  
>"Ruth…" he breathed quietly against her skin, brushing his nose against hers, giving her enough chance to pull away if she wished to do so.<p>

He was drawing her closer until their bodies were almost touching, but it wasn't until she felt his lips covering hers that she dared to believe what was happening. He was kissing her so gently it brought tears to her eyes. His fingertips were brushing along her lower back, tracing idle patterns through the silk of her nightie, causing shivers to run up and down her spine. Hesitantly she brought up her own hands, placing them on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat and the warmth of his body.

His lips moved over hers carefully, familiarizing himself with the curve and the texture before he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and stroked it softly with his tongue, causing her to give a small whimper. Gently he coaxed her lips apart to grant him entrance and once he started to explore her mouth she nothing but melted into him, her hands moving up to his shoulders to hold on for support, slowly giving in to the kiss and responding to him, her lips moving in rhythm with his.

The arm around her waist held her securely against him, while his other hand moved up underneath the jacket to rest between her shoulder-blades, his thumb stroking her skin through the soft material of her nighty. By then Ruth didn't even know anymore if he was pulling her against him or if she was pressing herself against him and it didn't matter at all anymore. Threading her fingers through his hair, she lost herself in the feeling of being held and kissed by him. It had been years since she'd been kissed like that. So thoroughly and ardently that every other thought disappeared from her mind. As if nothing else in the world existed anymore except the two of them. A kiss just for the sake of kissing. A kiss that made her toes curl.

When they finally broke apart she was too overwhelmed to form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence. All she could do was stare into his eyes, seeing to her amazement that they burned with desire, but with something else as well.

Her eyes were shining with happiness and seemed even larger than before and he marvelled at the way she had surrendered to him so completely. The same urge he'd felt earlier, to protect her and make sure that nothing and no-one ever hurt her again – as old fashioned as it sounded, surged again and his decision was made instantly. It would be so easy to give in to the desire and heat of the moment now. But one look at the dazed expression on her face told him it would be too much, too soon. She deserved to be treated so much better.

She relaxed a little in his arms, her hands moving back to his chest again and her forehead resting against his chin and once again her hugged her close against him.

He was in love with her. Suddenly it was all so clear and obvious. If there was even the slightest possibility to win her over, to draw her out of her shell, he wasn't going to do a thing that would even remotely hurt his chances. Bringing up his hand, he cradled her face and bend down for another slow, sweet kiss. This time when he pulled back it was with more determination.  
>"Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked hopefully. "There's a new sushi place in Skipton that opened up a while ago and…" he trailed off as her face brightened with excitement.<p>

"I'd love to. I adore sushi."

Her excitement was infectious and as things between them suddenly appeared to progress at a much swifter pace, he felt himself getting caught up in the whirlwind. It was something good though. If not the best thing that had happened to him.

"I'll pick you up at six then," he told her, while he brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, still quite unable to stop touching her.

She gave a slight nod, seemingly regaining her senses somewhat and suddenly looked down. "Right… you're going to need your jacket back…"  
>She slid out of it and handed it back to him, offering him a tantalizing view of her bare shoulder as the strap had come down with the jacket.<p>

Unable to resist her, he pulled her close once again for a last kiss, feeling rather delighted as he noticed how much more at ease and bolder she already appeared.  
>"Sleep well, Ruth," he whispered against her lips, as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm.<br>"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow," her voice was equally soft, but her eyes never stopped beaming at him.

He had to leave now or he never would. One more final last kiss, a last hug and a squeeze of her hand _- just let go of her and get to the car!_ – and he was finally on his way.

Ruth stood in the door opening watching him until the car turned around the corner before she stepped back inside, never even noticing the cold anymore. Without really seeing anything she made her way to her bedroom, turning off the lights a she went and crawled under the covers, her mind replaying their moment in the hall over and over again. Seconds later she was asleep.

I´d love to hear what you think!


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